—Anna-Marie— I’ll always remember the first time Brian and I got into our first all-out “fight” as a married couple. We were on our honeymoon. We were walking around the deck of the cruise ship, talking, taking in the night sky and the band and the murmur of people around us laughing and chatting. Brian... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— “Science, art, community, and nature make manifest that bad will or mistakes can lead to progress, like Bob Ross on his show The Joy of Painting reminding us that when we make big mistakes on canvas, we can turn them into birds—‘Yeah, they’re birds now!’” ... Continue Reading →
—Tobin and Anna-Marie— Our son Tobin is a sweet, determined, loving, and ornery little six year old. He is also nonverbal and on the autism spectrum. A couple of years ago, we made a little video and had our son Knox introduce his brother, explaining Tobin’s likes, dislikes, strengths and struggles. These were based on... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— March is coming to a close. We are in full-on spring season. (My allergies agree but the weather is arguing.) And things are heating up. It seems like most everyone I talk with is going through an incredibly busy and stressful and hard season right now. Whether you are in the rhythm of a... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— We were cleaning out a used fish tank my brother had lent Knox. Knox wants to spend his birthday money on two aquatic turtles and begin a new hobby with a freshwater tank. My sister Alexa had come over to help me lift the tank and empty the existing gravel from the bottom of... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— Growing up, I was scolded for one thing far more than any other—talking. I’ve just always had so much I want to say. It’s like the valve between brain and mouth has always been open for me. And the same is true for writing. I remember I used to have this red felt-tipped pen... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— In November, my family and I participated in the Lantern Fest. This is our second year at this event, and we’ve declared it a tradition. Last year, when we went we were letting go. We had specific things we needed to name and face and let go. The experience was an anchor for us.... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— It happened so fast. Usually I can pick up on the signs and have time to redirect or move us to a safe location. But this time, I missed all the signs. We were sitting, breathing in the September night air, enjoying the last few moments of one of Knox’s baseball games. Brian had... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— My Aunt Linda has a house near the city where Tobin goes to school. We used to stay with Linda sometimes when she lived there, but she moved a few months into our new adventure. She kept the house, however, and allows us to stay there when we need or want to. My Aunt... Continue Reading →
—Anna-Marie— My favorite grocery store closed last week. This is a big loss to the community and a big loss to the employees who lost their jobs. It's also a big personal loss to me. Not because of the plethora of organic and environmentally-friendly products, not because their core values were about community and giving... Continue Reading →
PURSUING TOB 